Machiya Chaya Furui: A Tea Stop in Imaicho's Merchant Quarter

Rest in an Edo-period merchant-house setting over soba, kakinoha-zushi, matcha and traditional sweets.

Verified site photographs are being prepared.

Verified site photographs pending

Discover Machiya Chaya Furui: A Tea Stop in Imaicho's Merchant Quarter

Machiya Chaya Furui occupies a historic merchant property in Imaicho, the preserved merchant town within Kashihara. Local tourism sources trace the household's commercial history from secondhand clothing to timber and sake brewing; today its tea rooms let visitors experience the old building as a place to eat and rest. Two Visit Nara entries name Furui and the adjoining Furuion tea space at the same address and phone number. This guide treats them as one destination with linked indoor and courtyard settings, avoiding a duplicate listing. Menus and seating can vary between the adjoining spaces, so ask which room is open when you arrive.

Read the building through its changing trades

The Kashihara tourism association says the house preserves traces of a business that operated successively as a secondhand-clothing shop, timber merchant and sake brewery from the mid-Edo period onward. A Japan Railway Central cultural feature also connects the present shop with the Furubayashi household and the town's transition to visitor dining. These descriptions explain the building's layered use; they are not an architectural survey or a claim that every visible fitting dates to the Edo period.

Choose between a quiet interior and the tea garden

The main Furui listing describes vintage vessels and a traditional townhouse interior. The adjoining Furuion entry highlights the courtyard with planting, water features and outdoor seating. Both names share the 4-6-13 address and the same telephone number, and local visitor sources describe Furuion as part of or adjoining Furui. Ask which space is operating and where to enter rather than expecting one entrance or room layout to fit every visit.

Order a meal that belongs to the region

Visit Nara describes a Townhouse Zen set with soba and kakinoha-zushi, and mentions nyūmen, noodles served in hot broth. Kashihara's current tourism listing describes machiya meals, matcha, warabi mochi and cakes. The exact menu and prices are not consistently published in the current official listings; treat these dishes as documented menu examples, not guaranteed same-day availability. If you have allergies or dietary restrictions, ask staff about ingredients before ordering.

Make the teahouse part of a walking visit

Imaicho is a protected historic district of working homes and businesses, not an open-air museum in which every building can be entered. Furui is a food venue where visitors can sit inside and, when the adjoining tea garden is open, outdoors. Walk the public streets quietly, do not enter unsigned doorways, and leave room for residents and deliveries. A short tea stop can sit between the townscape preservation centre and other public historic houses.

Check the seasonal calendar and park outside the lanes

The Kashihara tourism information site currently lists 10:30–17:00 on weekdays and until 17:30 on weekends and public holidays. It lists Monday closure in April, May, October and November, and Monday/Tuesday closure in other months. Visit Nara's listing notes irregular seasonal closures, so confirm the exact date before relying on this stop. The tourism association lists two parking spaces; Imaicho's lanes are narrow, and Kashihara City directs visitors toward designated visitor parking rather than driving through the historic streets.

What to look for

A merchant-house interior connected with successive local trades

Soba, kakinoha-zushi and traditional sweets in a historic setting

A linked courtyard tea space at the same Furui address

Photo notes

The historic house is a private food business, and no interior, garden or food photography rights are granted by directory listings. Ask staff before photographing the rooms, courtyard or other diners. Keep public streets clear and avoid photographing residents or private homes without consent. Obtain permission for any organised or commercial shoot.

Plan your visit

Location4-6-13 Imaicho, Kashihara · directory point for the Furui / Furuion premises

Visitor detailsAddress: 4-6-13 Imaicho, Kashihara, Nara PrefectureHours: 10:30–17:00 weekdays; 10:30–17:30 weekends and public holidays, per Kashihara tourism listingRegular closures: Monday in Apr/May/Oct/Nov; Monday and Tuesday in other months; irregular closures may applyFood examples: Soba, kakinoha-zushi, nyūmen, matcha, warabi mochi and cakes; confirm current menu and pricesAccess: About 12 minutes on foot from Kintetsu Yagi-Nishiguchi; about 18 minutes from JR Unebi, per local tourism listingContact: 0744-22-2135Visitor information sources reviewed 19 October 2026. Confirm current hours and fees before visiting.Check source for visitor details Hours and seasonal regular closures come from the current Kashihara tourism listing; Visit Nara notes irregular seasonal closures. Confirm before visiting. Current prices, exact menu for each adjoining room, reservation requirements, payment methods, accessibility and photography permission are not verified by current operator material. The two directory entries Furui and Furuion share one address and telephone number and are covered as one destination here; ask which tea space is open. The listed two car spaces should not be treated as an invitation to drive through Imaicho's narrow residential lanes; use designated visitor parking.

Getting thereWalk about twelve minutes from Kintetsu Yagi-Nishiguchi or about eighteen minutes from JR Unebi, following the old streets toward 4-6-13 Imaicho. The Kashihara tourism association gives those station times; Visit Nara estimates about ten minutes from Yagi-Nishiguchi. Because the streets are narrow and still residential, park at a designated visitor lot outside the settlement and continue on foot. The coordinate is the directory marker for the shared Furui/Furuion property, not a measured entrance.

Open directions Official visitor information Google Maps & visitor reviews

Opens a place search on Google Maps. Check the place name before reading visitor reviews. Reviews are visitors’ opinions, not verified facility information.

See this area on the map

SEASONAL CALENDAR

Events connected with Machiya Chaya Furui: A Tea Stop in Imaicho's Merchant Quarter

These records are shared with MyNara’s event calendar, so dates and notices have one source. Recurring patterns are not confirmed dated editions; check the organizer’s latest guidance.

Browse all events

Annual pattern

May · second Saturday through third Sunday; main events on the third Sunday · Local heritage festival

Imaicho Townscape Walk

Kashihara City describes this town-wide May festival as a chance to experience Imaicho's history and culture in its nationally designated historic district. The programme can include a period-costume tea procession, a recreated Rokusai market, tea service, street art, performances and openings at selected historic houses. The Agency for Cultural Affairs' profile of the district reports more than 10,000 visitors annually. The usual window is the second Saturday through the third Sunday in May, with the main events on the third Sunday; check the current city or preservation-society notice for the next dates, open buildings, fees and traffic arrangements. The district is the venue; nearby shops and residences are not automatically participating venues.

Check organizer information

Make a day of it

Explore guides close to this map point, then check the actual route before travelling. Distances below are straight lines, not walking distances or travel times; map points may not be entrances.

Imai Townscape Preservation Center: Step Inside a Restored House — illustrative image

Sources & editorial status

Original MyNara draft based on the linked sources. Sources reviewed 19 October 2026. Opening arrangements, prices and offers may change; use the operator's current information before travelling.